Means in a solarium

ABSTRACT

A solarium including a vertical guide-rail assembly having a casing-enclosed lower storage position and a selectively removable upper portion. A plurality of light-emitting units with cooperating reflectors mount perpendicularly across the guide-rail assembly and are displacable therealong and selectively received within the storage position.

The use of a solarium has become extremely prevalent. They are availableat public baths, gymnastic halls and health institutes. The desire hasalso arisen for a solarium at home. However, this is impractical ifspace is limited, since a solarium consists of a couch with a canopyabove having substantially the same length as the couch and containingthe sunray element and reflectors. A stand is provided enabling thecanopy to be placed above a couch. A space is thus required equivalentto that taken up by a couch and its canopy.

The present invention aims at producing a solarium which facilitateshousing it in a small space. This is achieved according to the presentinvention by utilizing a guide-rail assembly which can be shaped invarious ways and transforms the canopy to the form of a roll-topconsisting of a number of elongate elements joined together by links.Each element is provided with a member to cooperate with the guide-railassembly. A solarium canopy in the form of a roll-top can thereforeeasily be moved along the guide-rail assembly.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a guide-railassembly is secured to a flooring plate which is placed under abedsettee, the guide rails extending vertically behind the back of thesofa from the flooring plate. At a certain distance from the flooringplate the guide rails curve over the sofa itself. The curved section ispreferably removable from the vertical part. A solarium canopy in theform of a roll-top can now be moved along the guide rails from avertical position behind the sofa to a horizontal position above thesofa. The back of the sofa generally corresponds in height to thebreadth of the solarium canopy and when not in use, therefore, theroll-top canopy can be placed behind the sofa and the horizontal part ofthe guide-rail assembly can then be removed.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the vertical partof the guide-rail assembly, together with the roll-top solarium canopy,can be arranged in a closable box behind the sofa. Such a box need be nohigher than 20 cm.

Additional features of the present invention are revealed in theaccompanying claims.

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which

FIG. 1 shows a complete solarium according to the present invention,

FIG. 2 the upper portion of a guide-rail assembly for the part of thesolarium containing the light-emitting units,

FIGS. 3-4 show the lower part of the guide-rail assembly in twodifferent positions,

FIGS. 5-7 show three alternative versions of members cooperating withthe guide-rail assembly, and

FIGS. 8-9 show cooperation of the solarium with a sofa in two differentstages.

FIG. 1 shows a solarium canopy comprising six elongate units 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e and 1f, each elongate unit including a reflector andlight-emitting units either in the form of screw-in bulbs orstrip-lighting. Each unit is provided at each end with an outwardlydirected flange. On the unit 1a these flanges are designated 21a and27a. One end of the flange 21a is flexibly connected to a link 22a, theother end of which is flexibly connected to the flange 21b of the nextunit 1b. Flange 27b of unit 1b is flexibly connected to one end of alink 28a, the other end of which is flexibly connected to the flange 27abelonging to unit 1a. The remaining units are connected in the same way,giving the six connected units the nature of a roll-top, each unit beingmovable about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the unit.Each unit (1a) is provided centrally with two flanges (24a and 25a). Tworows of flanges are thus formed down the middle of the six units, theseflanges being linked together in the same way as the flanges at each endof the units. Flanges 25a and 25b are thus connected by a link 26a. Eachflange (24a and 25a) are provided on opposing sides with clawlikemembers 4a and 4b designed to cooperate with a guide-rail assemblyconsisting of two parallel rods 5a and 5b. The clawlike members 4a and4b grip the rods so that each unit (1a) is displaceable along the rods5a and 5b. The two rods 5a and 5b are provided with a vertical section6a and 6b and a substantially horizontal section 7a and 7b. These twoparts can be separated from each other as shown in FIG. 2. The rodsections 7a and 7b are joined by a connecting unit 7c at the lefthandend in the figure. The two rods 6a and 6 b are joined at the lower end10 by a connecting unit 20 and by a second connecting unit 16 above thefirst unit 20. The connecting unit 16 is pivotably attached to a rod 17by means of a screw 15. The two rods 6a and 6b can be pivoted to thedesired position with the aid of the screw 15, and secured there. Therod 17 is vertically movable in a sleeve 18 provided with a number ofholes 19 cooperation with corresponding holes in the rod 17. Thevertical position of the rod 17 is adjusted by means of a cotter 34inserted in one of the holes 19 and a hole, not shown, in the rod 17.The sleeve 18 is firmly secured to a flooring plate 12.

FIG. 5 shows in more detail the design of the clawlike members. Eachflange 25a has two clawlike members 29 and 30 which may be of plastic orsome other suitable material allowing displacement of the members 29 and30 along the rod 7a without leaving the rod.

FIG. 6 shows that the clawlike members 29 and 30 may be replaced by apin 14a protruding into a groove 13a in the rod 5a'. The groove 13aextends along the entire length of the rod 5a'. The rod 5a' is hollowlike a pipe and the pin 14a is provided with an enlarged portion 29apreventing it from leaving the groove 13a.

FIG. 7 shows a third version of the pin and groove. The rod 5a" is inthe form of a pipe and its groove 13a is directed so that its axis isparallel to cooperating flanges included in the row of flanges whichalso includes flange 25a. A pin 14a' protrudes from each flange, shapedso that only its tip protrudes into the groove 13a', the rest of the pinfollowing th outer contour of the rod.

The solarium according to the present invention is utilized as follows:When not in use the units 1a to 1f are moved along the guide-railassembly 5a and 5b to be linked only to the part of the guide-railassembly including the rod sections 6a and 6b. Sections 7a and 7b areremoved and in this state the solarium can easily be placed behind acupboard or sofa 33. It thus takes up a minimum of space. The solariummay in this state be enclosed in a casing in the form of a box 8 with alid 9, as shown in FIG. 8. When the solarium is in use the person toreceive sun-ray treatment can use the sofa to lie on. When the solariumis to be used, the lid 9 is opened and the upper part of the guide-railassembly, the rods 7a and 7b, are fitted to the vertical part consistingof rods 6a and 6b. These rods are provided at their upper ends 11 withholes into which protrusions in the upper guide-rail assembly can beinserted. FIG. 8 shows the two guide-rail sections joined together. Allthat is necessary to complete the solarium is for the units 1a to 1f tobe pulled up from the box 8 each unit sliding along the rods 5a and 5b.FIG. 9 shows the units 1a to 1f on their way towards the operatingposition as shown in FIG. 1. Here the units 1a to 1f are parallel to thecouch below where the person is to receive sun-ray treatment. The units1a to 1f can be adjusted to the desired distance from the couch with theaid of the holes 19 and cotter 34. The screw 15 allows the units 1a to1f to be adjusted to the desired angle in relation to the couch surface.

From the above it will be seen that a solarium has been created whichcan be substantially hidden behind the back of a sofa when not in use.When it is to be used, it is only a question of fitting on thehorizontal part of the guide-rail assembly and pulling up the roll-toplight elements from their place behind the sofa. A sofa used for thispurpose would probably only have to be drawn out some 20 cm from thewall to accommodate the thickness of the sun-ray equipment.

I claim:
 1. In a solarium comprising a canopy containing light-emittingunits and a holder for said canopy, said canopy comprising a number ofrigid elongate bodies located side by side and parallel to each, saidbodies being articulated with respect to each other with each body beingpivotable about an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of thebody, each body including, along the length thereof, at least one ofsaid light-emitting units with cooperating reflector means, said holdercomprising a guide-rail assembly and mounting means on each bodycooperating with said guide-rail assembly, said bodies beingdisplaceable along the guide-rail assembly substantially perpendicularthereto, said guide-rail assembly including a section forming a storageposition for selectively receiving said bodies, the guide-rail assemblyincluding a portion extending beyond said storage position, said portionbeing selectively removable from the section forming the storageposition.
 2. A solarium according to claim 1 wherein the section of theguide-rail assembly forming the storage position is arranged vertically.3. A solarium according to claim 2 including a casing enclosing saidvertically arranged guide-rail section, said casing being configured toreceive and surround said elongate bodies in the storage position.
 4. Asolarium according to claim 3 including a flooring plate mounting saidsection.
 5. A solarium according to claim 4 wherein said guide-railassembly comprises two spaced parallel rails, said mounting meanscomprising two members, each cooperating with one of said rails.
 6. Asolarium according to claim 5 wherein each member is mounted on thecorresponding rail for sliding adjustment of the corresponding bodytherealong.
 7. A solarium according to claim 6 wherein each guide-railincludes a groove longitudinally therealong, each member including aprotruding element slidably received in the groove of the correspondingrail.
 8. A solarium according to claim 6 including means mounting theguide-rail assembly for pivotable adjustment about a vertical axis.
 9. Asolarium according to claim 8 including means mounting the guide-railassembly for vertical adjustment.